rslifkin wrote:Jumper K. Balls wrote: XJ CherokeesThese, I understand. They're cheap and they're surprisingly lightweight to build from (~3200 lbs fully loaded for a 4dr/4wd/auto).
They're great beater candidates too. Simple as hell, solid mechanicals, millions of them out there so plenty of cheap used parts, and what you can't find used is still cheap as hell to buy new. Surprisingly good gas mileage with a 5 speed too. I like the simple, utilitarian charm of mine.
I don't quite get the Frisbee twins. And I'm coming from a 318 E30, Miata, and Corolla (hate the rolla)
Funny that I say that, because the Frisbee may still be my next car. I just feel like it lets me down every time I've test driven one.
I'll agree wit the others about the S197. I love mine, but if I was forced to remove the tune and the minor suspension tweaks, I'd sell it post haste. Unless you've driven one with a tune and at least better sway bars, you were basically driving a Crown Vic. With a few tweaks it is an amazingly capable and fun car but it doesn't feel that way initially. Once you spend some time with it you realize you can keep pushing further..asn further..and further. And it keeps singing. When I was autocrossing regularly I was commonly running similar raw times to several miatas in the club, even when they were similarly prepped. Beat a regular in a mildly prepped e30 too.
I can't compare it to the SN95, I was always too big to be comfortable in them.
Miats? BMWs? ehh. I get it I guess, but they aren't for me.
I love my e30, but I think you really need to have the e36 steering rack in it for it to feel fun. When we got our e30 for lemons (325e automatic...) I was reminded of how painfully slow the stock one is. That's probably the single best mod you can do to make it feel more modern, and getting rid of the power steering helps too.
Drove a few miatas and, while fun, I didn't fall in love. I preferred my E30 in just about every way, but the miatas were either basically stock or complete race builds, so maybe that skewed things.
I'll second the giant diesel trucks as a DD. Painful to park, they suck to drive...and I work at Cummins, so I end up driving them a bit too often.
OP, I wish you were right about the 240SX being as good a sports car as a Miata, I would go find one right now. Unfortunately most of the feedback I have heard is similar to NickD's and ddavidv's.
But on the topic of overrated, my E36 was OK but I sure didn't LOVE it.
I realized that the reason I dislike the MR2 is the same reason I dislike 911s...the uber light steering freaks me out, and I get very little feel for how much traction the front end has. I also felt like both of those cars, especially the 911, were massively over rated.
Different strokes for different folks. That's the beauty of this hobby.
There are a bunch of cars that I completely understand the Cool Aid. Miata, newer Corvettes and Mustangs, etc... But then there are bunch that while I respect them, do absolutely nothing for me. Late-60's muscle cars for example. I appreciate them, but when I see a parade of them on every Barrett Jackson auction, I turn the channel after the 7th one.
Tastes change over time too. I swore I'd never own a tuner car. And just last week I bought a Focus ST and am about to have an ECU tune done. If I ever put a bunch of stickers and neon lights on it then stance it, please give me the 'Ol Yeller treatment. 
OP; sounds like you are kinda tall. Although agree that some of mentioned cars have outside visual hindrances. I've found the A-pillar on the 350/370Z cars to be annoyingly thick.
I think the appeal to most of the mentioned go-to cars are bang for the buck. Miata's may be just an alright car until some simple, cheap mods are applied. Then it is fun albeit still underpowered. Which I'm used too as I've never had a high power car. I refer to my NB as the only car I've owned that I speed up for corners. No real experience w/E30's. The only time I've actually been in one was when they were new. At the time I thought my brand new 82 Sentra was loads better than the Pinto I traded in for it till a guy I knew took me for a ride in his brand new E30 (granted, a Euro-spec car converted to US and shipped new to the states). That car put my Sentra to shame. Now they are just old out-dated cars and relatively cheap. Parents had a Crown Vic. Was a nice car but nothing performance about it. Hated the touchy brakes. Have no experience with Mustangs. Don't really appeal to me as they are a dime a dozen. Which might be the appeal since they are so common they are inexpensive. 914's do appeal to me but see them as old sports cars (classic) since they stopped making them years before the first Miata. Grew up during the muscle car years and found them to handle like crap. The first Pinto I owned would leave one in the dust on a curvy canyon road. Heck, even the Datsun 510 WAGON which was the car I learned to drive in would outrun a muscle car in the canyons. Canyons roads around the area (coast of central California) I grew up is what got me into sports cars in the first place. But agree that there are so many types and variations that something has to appeal to someone.
I don't get Subarus. Mostly it's the sound. All I hear is lawn tractor.
Foxbody. Its my favorite platform. Disclaimer is im a straightline and long burnouts guy. Never much on corners
I've driven a Crown Vic. It was like driving a boat. Meh.
In reply to SEADave:
I drove a stock hatch s13 and an s13 notchback on coilovers with a very aggressive lsd. I liked both. The engine isn't great, but it's better than a Mazda B series. The transmission isn't as good but the chassis rigidity is in another league, the balance is super predictable and exploitable (both Miatas I drove long term felt way over-tired) and I could see out.
I honestly think my biggest problem with the Miatas is that I like to sit tall in the seat and close to the steering wheel when I'm E36 M3ting and getting. In a Miata, this means the top of the windshield perfectly bisects my field of vision.
That and I prefer a roof. Miatas judder and flex in ways that a 240sx or frisbee don't and that added bit of precision is important to me.
Now a s13 with a v8 and coil over suspension. Way too much fun. You could drive it easy or drop the hammer and light them up.
92dxman wrote: I've driven a Crown Vic. It was like driving a boat. Meh.
My father had Grand marquis... my mom used to refer to them as "driving a waterbed on wheels"
mad_machine wrote:92dxman wrote: I've driven a Crown Vic. It was like driving a boat. Meh.My father had Grand marquis... my mom used to refer to them as "driving a waterbed on wheels"
P71s, CV sports, Marauders, got better suspensions and lost some of that. But honestly for straight up highway cruisin you can't do much better than a panther.
The answer was a great car to learn to autocross in as well as a hoot in the two months of proper Summer we get here every year.
Other than that, I'm happy not to own one any more.
Miatas don't do much for me either. I get that they are good for certain things. If I were going to buy a car strictly for autocross or racing I would probably get one because of all the indoctrination I've received here, but I have no lust for them. Part of it is the whole girl car image, part of it is that I don't like the roadster platform (unless it's a 32 Ford), and part of it that they are backward of what I always valued in a car growing up. I always thought power should come first and if you have any money left over you could try to make your car handle.
I love the s197. Its not because I'm a mustang guy. To me bad ergonomics can easily kill a good car. I've thought that every mustang since about 1970 sucked to sit in. The first time i drove an 05 gt with a manual trans I thought "Man, Ford actually nailed it. Everything is just right." I mean that car just felt so right. Of course I'm 5'8" and 200# so ymmv.
The crown Vic I totally get, but that's because growing up our family car was always a caprice classic, so I see the beauty in a gigantic family hauler. That's just what a dad car should look like.
I don't get BMWs...
Maybe because I have spent most of my adult life in cities, but P71 = taxi. I just can't get past that.
GTwannaB wrote: Maybe because I have spent most of my adult life in cities, but P71 = taxi. I just can't get past that.
For me, it was the early 90s Grand Marquis a friend of mine had for a while. Just a big, floaty boat. Not fast, not as roomy as it should be, crappy modular V8s under the hood, what's the big attraction? To me, the 4.6 is one of the worst engines Ford ever made, and EVERY Panther has one under the hood. Bleah.
I'm on record as not being a big fan of The Answer. I had one for a year, and it was fun to autocross, but not much fun for anything else. I get the attraction, after all I did buy one, but I knew within a few weeks that it wasn't for me.
Speaking about larger (non-enthusiast) vehicle tastes, I don't get the popularity of "cute utes" like Escapes, RAV4s, CRVs, etc. They aren't real SUVs, because they can't tow anything or go off road. What they are is cars that are jacked up so they handle worse and get worse mileage than a normal car. And because they are so popular, nobody sells wagons anymore. And wagons rule. Therefore, cute utes suck.
gearheadmb wrote: I love the s197. Its not because I'm a mustang guy. To me bad ergonomics can easily kill a good car. I've thought that every mustang since about 1970 sucked to sit in. The first time i drove an 05 gt with a manual trans I thought "Man, Ford actually nailed it. Everything is just right." I mean that car just felt so right. Of course I'm 5'8" and 200# so ymmv.
I wasn't a Mustang fanatic or Ford lover FTM either. The '05 retro look had me from day one. First drive in a stock GT was OK but it was as if the car was made for me I fit so well. Not every enthusiast car can do that for me at 6'-1" and 250.
With prior research of the huge aftermarket I knew I could tailor the S197 to my likes. I wouldn't even try to drive a stock GT anymore. Didn't go crazy w/ it, didn't break the bank. Rather conservative w/ suspension, wheels/ tires, chassis bracing and tune.
One dislike was the rear view, the pedestal spoiler was a distraction, might wanna go delete there or the V6 lip. I'd wanna keep it longer if only Coyote.
mtn wrote: I don't quite get the Frisbee twins. And I'm coming from a 318 E30, Miata, and Corolla (hate the rolla)
I "get them", they're just not for full-sized people. Like me. I'll take the Gen Coupe or 3/4 gen camaro over one any day.
E46 Bimmers are my "I don't get it".
Tom_Spangler wrote: Speaking about larger (non-enthusiast) vehicle tastes, I don't get the popularity of "cute utes" like Escapes, RAV4s, CRVs, etc. They aren't real SUVs, because they can't tow anything or go off road. What they are is cars that are jacked up so they handle worse and get worse mileage than a normal car. And because they are so popular, nobody sells wagons anymore. And wagons rule. Therefore, cute utes suck.
Depends on the "cute ute". THe 'Zuk Grand Vitara is one and they are DEFINITELY offroad capable. It got decent fuel economy for a small trucklet (26-27 on the highway at 75mph) and parking.... holy cow. Short overall length meant you could park it anywhere anytime.
Mustangs.
I love Ford trucks but I can't find anything to like about the cars.
Driven a bunch of them, from the 60's up to the fox body cars, FE motors, Windsors, V6, even the horrid Mustang II.
I just don't get it.
They're built worse than F-body cars if that's even possible.
It's the car you buy your secretary.
aircooled wrote: Regarding the Miata vs MRS: the MRS might be a nicer driving car, but I think if you owned one (I have not) you might favor the Miata. Why?, because from what I have seen, the MRS has virtually NO cargo capability. A trip to the grocery store could even be a challenge. The Miata at least has a decent trunk and you can even take a trips in it with two people (I have done that). The MRS seems to be a pure toy car. That is not bad of course, but as your only car, the Miata seems to be a much better choice.
It's always funny to me that the people who complain about the storage of a spyder never have owned one and no one who owns one ever complains (that I've heard anyway)about it. It's a sportscar not an suv but they really arent a bad proposition day to day. Substitute a aaa card, a portable air compressor and fix-a-flat for the spare and theyre totally livable for daily use. My wife has been dd-ing one for a decade and it never came up till the kiddo came along. If the stroller doesnt need to come, it's still not an issue.
I do agree that the steering is light, depower the rack= solved and awesome. Theyre so light in front that they still steer easily, best mod I've done and mine has a turbo and six speed swap so that's saying something.
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